Your personal guide to [everything] study abroad.

Menu

Interested in applying for scholarships while abroad? Are you curious as to whether your current scholarships will apply during your time abroad? If so then boy, do we have answers (and then some) for you.

First things first — set up an appointment to talk with the financial aid office, because every student’s financial aid situation is different. You should contact Gail Woods at 864-656-2280 to make an appointment, located in G-01 Sikes Hall.

Our goal from this post is to a) clear up any lingering questions you may have about financial aid, scholarships, loans and grants while abroad, b) make sure you (as a prospective study abroad student) are aware of the various scholarships you can apply for, and c) help you get the most bang for your buck!

EXISTING SCHOLARSHIPS, FINANCIAL AID, LOANS AND GRANTS

My existing scholarships, financial aid and loans: Will they travel with me abroad?

Generally speaking, all federal and state financial aid will travel, regardless of the study abroad program (whether faculty-led, exchange, or third party)

For example: Pell Grant, Palmetto Fellows, HOPE and LIFE scholarships all travel with you abroad

Credit hour requirements apply — for example, with Palmetto Fellows, you must receive 30 credit hours for the entire year, so make sure you take enough credits abroad to get your 30 hours!

Grades that you receive abroad will affect your LIFE and Palmetto Fellows GPA (not your Clemson GPA) ONLY if your transcript is coming from a US institution (for example, the third party program USAC)

The only reason why your specific federal and state aid would not travel with you abroad would be if your particular scholarship specified that it is only valid on Clemson’s campus

What if I have a specific Clemson scholarship (a scholarship coming from the university, not an outside source)?

For Clemson scholarships, you can generally use these abroad if you’re paying tuition to Clemson (for exchange and faculty-led programs, not normally for third-party)

For example: ISA, USAC, and IES all offer scholarships, just to name a few

National Scholarships

These are the most variable of the scholarships; some are more general, while some are incredibly specific. Some of the scholarships require you to study a “critical need language,” some only apply for specific countries, and some are based on either need and/or merit. The scholarships listed below are a few examples of various national scholarships you can apply for:

Gilman International Scholarships

Must be receiving the Pell Grant to be eligible (a need-based scholarship)

Available for all semesters (spring, fall, summer, academic year)

Aim is to diversity the students who study abroad

Highlight diversity in your essays: anything to set yourself apart from your competition

Can earn up to $5,000 ($3,000 in additional funding can be awarded if you are studying a critical need language)

Must be a US citizen to apply

Deadlines to apply: March for fall/summer, October for spring

Application: One Statement of Purpose essay; one Follow-on Service Project Proposal essay; official transcript(s); online certifications from study abroad and financial aid officer

We hope this post has informed you of the various opportunities and processes involved in understanding, acquiring, and maintaining scholarships during your time abroad. As always, if you have any additional questions, please contact the Clemson study abroad office at abroad-L@clemson.edu.